Playing With Plastic

Since the eye travels right through it, acrylic "blends with its surroundings and imparts a sense of spaciousness and lightness," says Holly Becker, a Boston interior designer and author of the popular blog decor8 (decor8.blogspot.com). An acrylic table in an entryway, for instance, provides a surface for display and storage but takes up zero visual space. Likewise, an acrylic chair tucked under a white-painted table creates a stylish but visually unobtrusive home workspace. And while glass reflects light, acrylic actually carries it, "allowing light to dance in a space," Becker says, and making the material seem lit from within.

See more chic design ideas using plastic and Lucite. Clearly cool>